1
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Rosado MRS, Marzan-Rivera N, Watowich MM, Valle ADND, Pantoja P, Pavez-Fox MA, Siracusa ER, Cooper EB, Valle JEND, Phillips D, Ruiz-Lambides A, Martinez MI, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Higham JP, Brent LJN, Sariol CA, Snyder-Mackler N. Immune cell composition varies by age, sex and exposure to social adversity in free-ranging Rhesus Macaques. GeroScience 2024; 46:2107-2122. [PMID: 37853187 PMCID: PMC10828448 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00962-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing age is associated with dysregulated immune function and increased inflammation-patterns that are also observed in individuals exposed to chronic social adversity. Yet we still know little about how social adversity impacts the immune system and how it might promote age-related diseases. Here, we investigated how immune cell diversity varied with age, sex and social adversity (operationalized as low social status) in free-ranging rhesus macaques. We found age-related signatures of immunosenescence, including lower proportions of CD20 + B cells, CD20 + /CD3 + ratio, and CD4 + /CD8 + T cell ratio - all signs of diminished antibody production. Age was associated with higher proportions of CD3 + /CD8 + Cytotoxic T cells, CD16 + /CD3- Natural Killer cells, CD3 + /CD4 + /CD25 + and CD3 + /CD8 + /CD25 + T cells, and CD14 + /CD16 + /HLA-DR + intermediate monocytes, and lower levels of CD14 + /CD16-/HLA-DR + classical monocytes, indicating greater amounts of inflammation and immune dysregulation. We also found a sex-dependent effect of exposure to social adversity (i.e., low social status). High-status males, relative to females, had higher CD20 + /CD3 + ratios and CD16 + /CD3 Natural Killer cell proportions, and lower proportions of CD8 + Cytotoxic T cells. Further, low-status females had higher proportions of cytotoxic T cells than high-status females, while the opposite was observed in males. High-status males had higher CD20 + /CD3 + ratios than low-status males. Together, our study identifies the strong age and sex-dependent effects of social adversity on immune cell proportions in a human-relevant primate model. Thus, these results provide novel insights into the combined effects of demography and social adversity on immunity and their potential contribution to age-related diseases in humans and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell R Sanchez Rosado
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA.
| | - Nicole Marzan-Rivera
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Marina M Watowich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Petraleigh Pantoja
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Melissa A Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Erin R Siracusa
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Josue E Negron-Del Valle
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel Phillips
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Marketing, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Carlos A Sariol
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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2
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Pavez-Fox MA, Siracusa ER, Ellis S, Kimock CM, Rivera-Barreto N, Negron-Del Valle JE, Phillips D, Ruiz-Lambides A, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP, Brent LJ, De Moor D. Socioecological drivers of injuries in female and male rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta). BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.20.563310. [PMID: 38559204 PMCID: PMC10979908 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.563310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Competition over access to resources, such as food and mates, is believed to be one of the major costs associated with group living. Two socioecological factors suggested to predict the intensity of competition are group size and the relative abundance of sexually active individuals. However, empirical evidence linking these factors to injuries and survival costs is scarce. Here, we leveraged 10 years of data from free-ranging rhesus macaques where injuries inflicted by conspecifics are associated with a high mortality risk. We tested if group size and adult sex ratio predicted the occurrence of injuries and used data on physical aggression to contextualise these results. We found that males were less likely to be injured when living in larger groups, potentially due to advantages in intergroup encounters. Females, instead, had higher injury risk when living in larger groups but this was not explained by within-group aggression among females. Further, male-biased sex ratios predicted a weak increase in injury risk in females and were positively related to male-female aggression, indicating that male coercion during mating competition may be a cause of injuries in females. Overall, our results provide insights into sex differences in the fitness-related costs of competition and empirical evidence for long-standing predictions on the evolution of group living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A. Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom KY16 9JP
| | - Erin R. Siracusa
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
| | - Samuel Ellis
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
| | - Clare M. Kimock
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom NG1 4FQ
| | - Nahiri Rivera-Barreto
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-5067
| | | | - Daniel Phillips
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281, United States
| | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-5067
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281, United States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
| | - Delphine De Moor
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
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3
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Newman LE, Testard C, DeCasien AR, Chiou KL, Watowich MM, Janiak MC, Pavez-Fox MA, Sanchez Rosado MR, Cooper EB, Costa CE, Petersen RM, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. The biology of aging in a social world: Insights from free-ranging rhesus macaques. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105424. [PMID: 37827475 PMCID: PMC10872885 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Social adversity can increase the age-associated risk of disease and death, yet the biological mechanisms that link social adversities to aging remain poorly understood. Long-term naturalistic studies of nonhuman animals are crucial for integrating observations of social behavior throughout an individual's life with detailed anatomical, physiological, and molecular measurements. Here, we synthesize the body of research from one such naturalistic study system, Cayo Santiago, which is home to the world's longest continuously monitored free-ranging population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). We review recent studies of age-related variation in morphology, gene regulation, microbiome composition, and immune function. We also discuss ecological and social modifiers of age-markers in this population. In particular, we summarize how a major natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, affected rhesus macaque physiology and social structure and highlight the context-dependent and domain-specific nature of aging modifiers. Finally, we conclude by providing directions for future study, on Cayo Santiago and elsewhere, that will further our understanding of aging across different domains and how social adversity modifies aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Newman
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Alex R DeCasien
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Marina M Watowich
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mareike C Janiak
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa A Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina E Costa
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel M Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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4
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Strauss ED. Demographic turnover can be a leading driver of hierarchy dynamics, and social inheritance modifies its effects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220308. [PMID: 37381857 PMCID: PMC10291429 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals and societies are linked through a feedback loop of mutual influence. Demographic turnover shapes group composition and structure by adding and removing individuals, and social inheritance shapes social structure through the transmission of social traits from parents to offspring. Here I examine how these drivers of social structure feedback to influence individual outcomes. I explore these society-to-individual effects in systems with social inheritance of hierarchy position, as occur in many primates and spotted hyenas. Applying Markov chain models to empirical and simulated data reveals how demography and social inheritance interact to strongly shape individual hierarchy positions. In hyena societies, demographic processes-not status seeking-account for the majority of hierarchy dynamics and cause an on-average lifetime decline in social hierarchy position. Simulated societies clarify how social inheritance alters demographic effects-demographic processes cause hierarchy position to regress to the mean, but the addition of social inheritance modifies this pattern. Notably, the combination of social inheritance and rank-related reproductive success causes individuals to decline in rank over their lifespans, as seen in the hyena data. Further analyses explore how 'queens' escape this pattern of decline, and how variation in social inheritance generates variability in reproductive inequality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, 78464, Germany
- Ecology of Animal Societies Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Collective Behavior Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Integrative Biology Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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5
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Newman LE, Testard C, DeCasien AR, Chiou KL, Watowich MM, Janiak MC, Pavez-Fox MA, Rosado MRS, Cooper EB, Costa CE, Petersen RM, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Brent LJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. The biology of aging in a social world:insights from free-ranging rhesus macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.28.525893. [PMID: 36747827 PMCID: PMC9900930 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.28.525893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Social adversity can increase the age-associated risk of disease and death, yet the biological mechanisms that link social adversities to aging remain poorly understood. Long-term naturalistic studies of nonhuman animals are crucial for integrating observations of social behavior throughout an individual's life with detailed anatomical, physiological, and molecular measurements. Here, we synthesize the body of research from one such naturalistic study system, Cayo Santiago Island, which is home to the world's longest continuously monitored free-ranging population of rhesus macaques. We review recent studies of age-related variation in morphology, gene regulation, microbiome composition, and immune function. We also discuss ecological and social modifiers of age-markers in this population. In particular, we summarize how a major natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, affected rhesus macaque physiology and social structure and highlight the context-dependent and domain-specific nature of aging modifiers. Finally, we conclude by providing directions for future study, on Cayo Santiago and elsewhere, that will further our understanding of aging across different domains and how social adversity modifies aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Newman
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alex R. DeCasien
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institutes of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth L. Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Marina M. Watowich
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mareike C. Janiak
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Eve B. Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Christina E. Costa
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Rachel M. Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael J. Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
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6
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Cooper EB, Watowich MM, Beeby N, Whalen C, Montague MJ, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. Concentrations of urinary neopterin, but not suPAR, positively correlate with age in rhesus macaques. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1007052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying biomarkers of age-related changes in immune system functioning that can be measured non-invasively is a significant step in progressing research on immunosenescence and inflammaging in free-ranging and wild animal populations. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the suitability of two urinary compounds, neopterin and suPAR, as biomarkers of age-related changes in immune activation and inflammation in a free-ranging rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) population. We also investigated age-associated variation in gene transcription from blood samples to understand the underlying proximate mechanisms that drive age-related changes in urinary neopterin or suPAR. Neopterin was significantly positively correlated with age, and had a moderate within-individual repeatability, indicating it is applicable as a biomarker of age-related changes. The age-related changes in urinary neopterin are not apparently driven by an age-related increase in the primary signaler of neopterin, IFN-y, but may be driven instead by an age-related increase in both CD14+ and CD14− monocytes. suPAR was not correlated with age, and had low repeatability within-individuals, indicating that it is likely better suited to measure acute inflammation rather than chronic age-related increases in inflammation (i.e., “inflammaging”). Neopterin and suPAR had a correlation of 25%, indicating that they likely often signal different processes, which if disentangled could provide a nuanced picture of immune-system function and inflammation when measured in tandem.
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7
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Cooper EB, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Singh M, Sengupta A, Khatiwada S, Malaivijitnond S, Qi Hai Z, Higham JP. The natural history of model organisms: the rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene. eLife 2022; 11:78169. [PMID: 35801697 PMCID: PMC9345599 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Of all the non-human primate species studied by researchers, the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is likely the most widely used across biological disciplines. Rhesus macaques have thrived during the Anthropocene and now have the largest natural range of any non-human primate. They are highly social, exhibit marked genetic diversity, and display remarkable niche flexibility (which allows them to live in a range of habitats and survive on a variety of diets). These characteristics mean that rhesus macaques are well-suited for understanding the links between sociality, health and fitness, and also for investigating intra-specific variation, adaptation and other topics in evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
| | | | | | - Mewa Singh
- Biopsychology Laboratory, University of Mysore, Mysuru, India
| | | | - Sunil Khatiwada
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Garbatka, Poland
| | | | - Zhou Qi Hai
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
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8
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Kappeler PM, Pethig L, Prox L, Fichtel C. Reproductive Senescence in Two Lemur Lineages. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.894344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between age and reproductive performance is highly variable across species. Humans and some cetaceans exhibit an extreme form of reproductive senescence in that female reproduction ceases years or even decades before average life expectancy is reached. However, neither the existence of reproductive senescence in some taxa nor its absence in others is fully understood. Comparative data from other long-lived mammals may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of menopause, but data from wild primates, in particular, are scarce. We therefore investigated age-related female reproductive performance in two wild sympatric populations of Malagasy primates: Verreaux’s sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi) and redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons), which have a maximal longevity of more than 20 years. Based on 25 years of long-term demographic data, we extracted information on reproductive output of 38 female Verreaux’s sifakas and 42 female redfronted lemurs. We modeled variation in female reproductive performance and interbirth intervals as a function of age, the number of adult females within a group to account for female competition, and rainfall as a proxy for annual variation in food availability. We also compared our results for these two species with data on captive populations of the same two genera that are buffered from fluctuations in environmental variables. Our analyses disclosed statistical evidence for reproductive senescence in three out of four populations (captive Coquerel’s sifakas, wild redfronted lemurs, and captive red lemurs) but not for wild Verreaux’s sifakas. Compared to wild populations, reproductive senescence was therefore not less pronounced in captive animals, even though the latter are buffered from environmental adversities. In wild redfronted lemurs, mothers were more likely to give birth in years with more rainfall, but neither the number of co-resident females, nor annual rainfall did predict variation in the probability of giving birth in wild Verreaux’s sifakas. Thus, our study contributes valuable comparative information on reproductive senescence in a basal group of primates, and offers insights into the modulating effects of environmental, social and phylogenetic factors on patterns and dynamics of age-specific female reproduction.
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9
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Sadoughi B, Schneider D, Daniel R, Schülke O, Ostner J. Aging gut microbiota of wild macaques are equally diverse, less stable, but progressively personalized. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:95. [PMID: 35718778 PMCID: PMC9206754 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01283-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pronounced heterogeneity of age trajectories has been identified as a hallmark of the gut microbiota in humans and has been explained by marked changes in lifestyle and health condition. Comparatively, age-related personalization of microbiota is understudied in natural systems limiting our comprehension of patterns observed in humans from ecological and evolutionary perspectives. RESULTS Here, we tested age-related changes in the diversity, stability, and composition of the gut bacterial community using 16S rRNA gene sequencing with dense repeated sampling over three seasons in a cross-sectional age sample of adult female Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) living in their natural forest habitat. Gut bacterial composition exhibited a personal signature which became less stable as individuals aged. This lack of stability was not explained by differences in microbiota diversity but rather linked to an increase in the relative abundance of rare bacterial taxa. The lack of age-related changes in core taxa or convergence with age to a common state of the community hampered predicting gut bacterial composition of aged individuals. On the contrary, we found increasing personalization of the gut bacterial composition with age, indicating that composition in older individuals was increasingly divergent from the rest of the population. Reduced direct transmission of bacteria resulting from decreasing social activity may contribute to, but not be sufficient to explain, increasing personalization with age. CONCLUSIONS Together, our results challenge the assumption of a constant microbiota through adult life in a wild primate. Within the limits of this study, the fact that increasing personalization of the aging microbiota is not restricted to humans suggests the underlying process to be evolved instead of provoked only by modern lifestyle of and health care for the elderly. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Sadoughi
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Dominik Schneider
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Lee DS, Knittel T, Deschner T, Heistermann M, Higham JP. Testing the role of testosterone versus estrogens in mediating reproductive transitions in female rhesus macaques. Horm Behav 2022; 139:105123. [PMID: 35149292 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In male vertebrates, testosterone is generally known to coordinate reproductive trade-offs, in part by promoting the transition to the next reproduction at the expense of current parental care. The role of testosterone in reproductive transitions has been little tested in female vertebrates, especially in mammals. The present study sought to fill this gap, by first undertaking an experimental study, in which we identified DHT, androstenediol, and in particular etiocholanolone, as fecal androgen metabolites which reflect serum testosterone concentration in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Using concentrations of fecal etiocholanolone as proxy for circulating testosterone, we then conducted a field study on 46 free-ranging rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, to test if testosterone mediates the trade-off between reproductive transition (a higher chance of reproducing in the next year) and current reproduction (providing more care to current offspring). While the evidence for testosterone was weak, the testing of fecal immunoreactive estrogen metabolites suggested a potential role of estrogen in reproductive trade-offs. We found large individual differences in fecal etiocholanolone concentrations during the early postpartum period that were unexplained even after accounting for sociodemographic factors such as age and dominance rank. Further investigation is needed to understand this variation. Our study suggests that the actions of testosterone in females may not have evolved to fulfil the same role in primate reproductive transitions as it does in males, and we encourage more studies to consider the function of testosterone in reproductive behaviors and life history transitions in females of mammalian taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Susie Lee
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York 10003, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York 10024, NY, USA.
| | - Tina Knittel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Interim Group Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Interim Group Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York 10003, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York 10024, NY, USA
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Turcotte CM, Mann EHJ, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Montague MJ, Dickinson E, Surratt SB, Martinez M, Williams SA, Antón SC, Higham JP. The ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in free-ranging rhesus macaques. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:314-327. [PMID: 35571460 PMCID: PMC9094693 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Objective Reconstructing the social lives of extinct primates is possible only through an understanding of the interplay between morphology, sexual selection pressures, and social behavior in extant species. Somatic sexual dimorphism is an important variable in primate evolution, in part because of the clear relationship between the strength and mechanisms of sexual selection and the degree of dimorphism. Here, we examine body size dimorphism across ontogeny in male and female rhesus macaques to assess whether it is primarily achieved via bimaturism as predicted by a polygynandrous mating system, faster male growth indicating polygyny, or both. Methods We measured body mass in a cross-sectional sample of 364 free-ranging rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico to investigate size dimorphism: 1) across the lifespan; and 2) as an outcome of sex-specific growth strategies, including: a) age of maturation; b) growth rate; and c) total growth duration, using regression models fit to sex-specific developmental curves. Results Significant body size dimorphism was observed by prime reproductive age with males 1.51 times the size of females. Larger male size resulted from a later age of maturation (males: 6.8-7.8 years versus females: 5.5-6.5 years; logistic model) and elevated growth velocity through the pre-prime period (LOESS model). Though males grew to larger sizes overall, females maintained adult size for longer before senescence (quadratic model). Discussion The ontogeny of size dimorphism in rhesus macaques is achieved by bimaturism and a faster male growth rate. Our results provide new data for understanding the development and complexities of primate dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Turcotte
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva H J Mann
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I Villamil
- School of Health and Allied Sciences, Universidad Central del Caribe, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | | | - Melween Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan C Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
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